Process of manufacturing crushed velvet



Patented Oct. 3, 1950 PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING CRUSHED VELVET TheodoreVan Heck, North Bergen, N. J.

No Drawing. Application August 26,1949, Serial No. 112,642

12 Claims.

1 This invention relates to a process of manufacturing and treatingvelvet, particularly socalled "crushed velvet.

The term crushed velvet, as herein sometimes used, refers to a materialwith a short, soft,

thick warp pile surface on a fabric back which after dyeing andfinishing has been subjected to a crushing treatment.

Tests and practical experience show that crushed velvet manufactured bymethods and processes, as hitherto known, will substantially lose itscrush when wetted, particularly after repeated wettings.

As a result, the use of crushed velvet, as now available, is limited andthe material cannot be employed for certain articles for which its usewould be desirable, but which by their nature are exposed to repeatedwettings, such as bathing suits, shoes, etc.

Accordingly, it is one of the objects of the invention to provide anovel and improved process of manufacturing crushed velvet which can beadvantageously used for bathing suits, shoes and other articles, whichby their nature are subjected to repeated wettings.

Another object of the invention is. to provide a novel and improvedprocess of manufacturing crushed velvet which will permanentlysubstantially retain its crush, even though the material may berepeatedly and thoroughly soaked in water, and even though the water mayexert a certain pull upon the material, as it does when the material isused for bathing suits. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedprocess of manufacturing crushed velvet which will retain permanentlyits crush and also its original sheen or lustre.

According to the invention the above enumerated objects, features andadvantages and other objects, features and advantages which will bepointed out hereinafter and set forth in the appended claims formingpart of the application, are obtained by applying the following processsteps in the manufacture of crushed velvet.

The velvet to be treated according to th invention may have any suitablefabric back made or instance of rayon, cotton or silk, or a mixture ofsuch fibers. In case elasticity of the material is required the warp orthe filling or both, depending upon whether stretchin one direction orboth directions is desired, must be made of or contain stretchablematerial such as rubber or latex, as now known imder the trade-markLastex.

The pile of the velvet must comprise a matetures.

rial capable of permanently retaining a crush, notwithstanding repeatedwettings, after having been treatedaccording to the invention, as willbe fully explained hereinafter. Applicant has found by extensive teststhat the filaments of acetate rayon are particularly suitable for thepurpose of the invention by reason of their thermoplastic properties.Satisfactory results were also obtained with cotton fibers.

The velvet is dyed, finished and crushed by any suitable method andmeans, conventional or unconventional, which are known in the art forthe aforesaid purposes. The crushing operation generally consists oftwisting and compressing the material until it assumes the shape of atight rope, sometimes forming knots.

Inasmuch as the manufacture of the velvet proper and the dyeing,finishing and crushing of the material may be conventional and are notessential for th understanding of the invention, they are not describedhere in detail.

As previously mentioned, conventionally crushed velvet, whether it hasan acetate rayon pile or a pile made of any other fiber or filament,will substantially lose its crush if thoroughly wetted, particularly ifsubjected to a pull When wet. For the purpose of making the crush ofcrushed velvet substantially insensitive to even a thorough and repeatedwetting, crushed velvet while still in the shape it is upon completionof the crushing operation, that is, in form of a tightly wound ortwistedrope is, according to the invention, subjected to a heat treatment inthe presence of moisture at a temperature between and 212 F. or evenhigher if the material to be treated can withstand higher tempera- Thisheat treatment is continued until the heat has completely penetrated thevelvet rope. and the Same is saturated with moisture. Various methodsand means may be employed to apply the aforesaid heat treatment. Theapplicant has found that generally good results are obtained bysubmerging the rope in water having a temperature between 140 and 212 F.Particularly good results were obtained when a temperature between 180and 212 F. was employed, The rope should remain in the hot water bath'until thoroughly heated and soaked, generally about ten minutes aresufficient.

In certain instances, satisfactory results can also be obtained bysubjecting the rope of crushed velvet to a treatment with air having atemperature above 140, preferably between 180 and 212 in the presence ofmoisture. The moisture can be provided by saturating the hot air orsoaking the cloth with water before exposing it to the hot air.

In case the dyes used for dyeing the velvet are suificiently colorfast,live steam having a temperature of more than 212 F. may also beemployed. In any event care must be taken that the applied heatpenetrates the entire rope and that the rope is saturated with moisture.To facilitate the heat penetration and saturation of the rope, thetreatment may be carried out under pressure or under vacuum.

Tests made by the applicant with crushed velvet treated according to theinvention, particularly with crushed velvet having an acetate rayonpile, show that the folds or wrinkles caused by the crushing operationare fixed to such an extent that they will substantially retain theirshape after repeated soakings of the velvet in water and exposure to thestresses and pulls to which the material is customarily subjected whenused for a bathing suit.

The aforesaid neat treatment frequently reduces the original sheen orlustre ofv the velvet to lustre of the material can be substantiallyrestored by rapidly cooling the material upon completion of the heattreatment and while still in the form of said tight rope.

Tests made by the applicant show that good results are obtained bysubmerging the velvet rope in water which may have approximately roomtemperature. The cooling operation is continued until the material isthoroughly cooled off. Ten minutes are generally suihcient. In certaininstances, it is also possible and practical to cool off the velvet ropeby exposing it to a current of cold air.

.Finally, the crushed velvet, now having a permanent crush, is dried andframed for instance by means of a conventional finishing or tenderingmachine to give the material the desired width.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to certainnow preferred process steps, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art after understanding the invention, that various changes andmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention and it is intended, therefore, in the appended claims, tocover all such changes and modifications.

What is claimed is:

1. In the process of manufacturing crushed velvet by twisting andcompressing velvet material having a pile comprising thermoplasticmaterial, the step of thoroughly heating the velvet material while beingin said twisted and compressed condition in the presence of moisture toa temperature between 140 and 212 F.

2. In the process of manufacturing crushed velvet by twisting andcompressing velvet material having a pile comprising thermoplasticmaterial, the step of submerging the velvet material, while being insaid twisted and compressed condition, in an aqueous fiuid having atemperature between 175 and 212 F. for at least a period of timesufiicient to heat and soak the velvet material throughout.

3. In a process of manufacturing crushed velvet by twisting andcompressing velvet material having a pile comprising acetate rayonfilaments,

the step of thoroughly heating the velvet material, while being in saidtwisted and compressed condition, in the presence of moisture to atemperature between and 212 F.

4. In a process of manufacturing crushed velvet by twisting andcompressing velvet material having a pile comprising acetate rayonfilaments, the step of submerging the velvet material, while being insaid twisted and compressed condition, in water having a temperaturebetween and 212 F. for at least a period of time sufficient to soak andheat the velvet material throughout.

5. In the process of manufacturing crushed velvet by twisting andcompressing velvet material having a pile comprising thermoplasticmaterial, the steps of thoroughly heating the velvet material, whilebeing in said twisted and compressed condition in the presence ofmoisture, to a temperature between 140 and 212 F., and of subjecting theheated velvet material, while being in said twisted and compressedcondition, to a treatment with a cooling medium for rapidly cooling thecrushed velvet throughout upon completion of the heat treatment.

6. In the process of manufacturing crushed velvet by twisting andcompressing velvet material having a pile comprising thermoplasticmaterial, the steps of submerging the velvet material, while being insaid twisted and compressed condition, in an aqueous fluid having atemperature between 140 and 212 F. for at least a period of timesufficient to heat and soak the velvet material throughout, and ofsubmerging the heated velvet material, while being in said twisted andcompressed condition, in cold water for at least a period of timesufficient to obtain complete cooling of the heated velvet.

'Z. In a process of manufacturing crushed velvet by twisting andcompressing velvet material having a pile comprising acetate rayonfilaments, the steps of thoroughly heating the velvet material, whilebeing in said twisted and compressed condition, in the presence ofmoisture to a temperature between 14-0 and 212 F., and of subjecting theheated velvet material, While being in said twisted and compressedcondition, to a treatment with a cooling medium for rapidly cooling thecrushed velvet throughout upon completion of the heat treatment.

8. In a process of manufacturing crushed velvet by twisting andcompressing velvet material having a pile comprising acetate rayonfilaments, the steps of 'submerging the velvet material, while being insaid twisted and compressed condition, in water having a temperaturebetween 1'75 and 212 F. for at least a period of time sufficient to soakand heat the velvet material throughout, and of submerging the heatedvelvet material while being in said twisted and compressed condition ina cold water bath for a period of time suflicient to cool off completelythe velvet material.

9. In a process of manufacturing crushed velvet by twisting andcompressing velvet material having a pile comprising thermoplasticmaterial, the step of exposing the velvet, while being in said twistedand compressed condition, to hot air having a temperature of at least140 F. in the presence of moisture for at least a period of timesuflicient to secure thorough heating and saturation with moisture ofthe velvet material.

10. In a process of manufacturing crushed velvet by twisting andcompressing velvet material having a pile comprising thermoplasticmaterial,

the step of exposing the velvet, while being in said twisted andcompressed condition, to live steam for at least a period of timesufiicient to secure thorough heating and moisture saturation of thevelvet material.

11. In a process of manufacturing crushed velvet by twisting andcompressing velvet material having a pile comprising thermoplasticmaterial, the step of exposing the velvet, while being in said twistedand compressed condition, to hot air having a temperature of at least140 F. in the presence of moisture for at least a period of timesufiicient to secure thorough heating and saturation with moisture ofthe velvet material, and of subjecting the heated velvet material, whilebeing in said twisted and compressed condition, to a treatment with acooling medium for rapidly cooling the crushed velvet upon completion ofthe heat treatment.

12. In a process of manufacturing crushed velvet by twisting andcompressing velvet material having a pile comprising thermoplasticmaterial,

the step of exposing the velvet while being in said twisted andcompressed condition, to live steam for at least a period of timesufficient to secure thorough heating and moisture saturation of thevelvet material, and subjecting the heated velvet material, while beingin said twisted and compressed condition, to a treatment with a coolinmedium for rapidly cooling the crushed velvet upon completion of theheat treatment.

THEODORE VAN HEEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

